Wish List 182 | Gift Guides, Reading Nook, Holiday Outfits + More

In this post: Wednesday Weekly Wish List is the place to find recommendations and ideas, personal favorites and little pleasures that will add a bit of joy to your life.⇒

Welcome to another week of the Wednesday Weekly Wishlist, a place for a little midweek inspiration! We invite you to click the links and explore what’s enchanting us right now. Enjoy!

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1. TOP POSTS THIS WEEK: If you haven’t seen my shopping guides, be sure to check them out now. The Holiday Gift Guide recommends gifts by person and Christmas Gift Ideas suggests gifts by interest.

2. ALSO NEW AND POPULAR: Burgundy is everywhere this year, looking especially fresh in holiday decor. Check out elegant burgundy Christmas decorations for ideas for using this traditional color combination in new and updated ways.

3. AMAZON PICKS: here are this week’s favorites from Amazon.

4. THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG I shared:

• These easy holiday decorating ideas for a small apartment
• This elegant Christmas table setting to upgrade a kitchen dinner, and this unique Christmas table setting using pattern mix.
• These free printable Christmas gift tags and these DIY printable Christmas cards.

5. CURRENT DECOR CRUSHES:

• These adorable holiday wooden wine stoppers
• These lovely block printed Christmas stockings
• This enchanting holiday wreath pillow
• This dozen box of faux pears (comes in red!)
• This sweet set of gingerbread soldiers

6. TOP FASHION PICKS:

• These stunning Byzantine hoop earrings.
• My new favorite glasses in a fabulous shape.
• This stretch velvet button up shirt
• This plush fair-isle mock neck sweater
• This great-fitting bias-cut maxi skirt (many colors)

7. CURRENT FURNITURE DEALS – for a cozy reading corner:

• This lush tufted club chair
• This lovely wood side table with drawer and shelf
• This cozy chaise lounge with adjustable backrest
• This charming cane end table
• This awesome alabaster table lamp

8. WHAT I’M READING: I’ve been sailing through the list of books I’ve wanted to read for some time, so some of these you may have already seen the screen version. But the book is always better. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is one such book, touted as “a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the little lies that can turn lethal.” It kept me thoroughly engaged!

9. WHAT’S INSPIRING ME AROUND THE WEB: These fabulous kitchens showing off dishware in the most updated fashion and this delightful collection of inspiring and sophisticated spaces, mixing traditional and vintage in a very fresh way.

10. UP NEXT: Winter decor ideas after Christmas…

1.) There’s something wonderful about the aroma of freshly baked cookies filling your home, especially during the holidays. These white chocolate cranberry cookies blend sweet and tangy flavors with a buttery richness and a touch of orange, making them utterly irresistible!

2.) Find an updated collection of my Amazon favorites HERE.

3.) FAVORITE QUOTE: “One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.”
~Andy Rooney

4.) HOLIDAY INSPIRATION: wander through these images of gorgeous Christmas mantels, and then get tips and tricks for hanging your own mantel garland.

5.) FASHION FINDS ACTUALLY IN MY CLOSET:

• this casual plaid layering tee
• this scuba knit striped top (runs big so I went one size down)
• this set of 2 hacci knit pullovers
• these basic black ankle pants
• this really pretty sequined top
• this cowl neck waffle knit tunic
• this cute and colorful long sleeved top

6.) MORE HOLIDAY INSPIRATION: tour this lovely home that embraces simplicity and warmth while still staying neutral, and then if you love plaid, you need to see this traditional & cozy Christmas living room full of plaid accents!

7.) YOUR CHRISTMAS FAVORITES:

• this cozy 3-piece pajama set (most clicked)
• this Cuddl Duds jogger pajama set (most orders)
• this V-neck sweater tunic
• this classic 4-quart Crock-Pot
• this little USA map puzzle in a pouch (my grandkids LOVE these)
• these cozy UGG look-alikes
• my velvet sherpa Christmas tree pillow cover

8.) Wrapping Christmas presents can be a joyful and relaxing experience—or it can feel overwhelming and exhausting. Over the years, I’ve felt all those emotions and more, and I’m sure you have too. In recent years, I’ve focused on making gift wrapping a more enjoyable part of the season. I’ve got some simple Christmas gift wrap ideas that have made a big difference for me. I hope they bring a little extra joy to your holiday preparations as well!

9.) CHRISTMAS DAY GIVEAWAY: I’m planning my biggest Christmas Day giveaway ever, and it’s exclusively for my email subscribers. If you want in on the fun, click HERE to join us!

10.) 14 more days…just remember, no matter how long your list, it somehow always gets done!

1). CHRISTMAS IDEAS ON THE BLOG: Elevate your home and lift your Christmas spirit…

• How To Feed A Crowd (Big Or Small) At Christmas– Take a peek at what I serve for Christmas breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Get savvy ideas for where to sit a crowd for dinner and how to deal with all those dirty dishes!
• 60+ Christmas Decorating Ideas You Can Do In 15 Minutes Or Less– There’s always room for a little more sparkle and jingle. Get easy, quick ideas to decorate your holiday home.
• 10 Ways To Get Into The Christmas Spirit– How to enjoy the Christmas season more. It starts in your heart!

2.  AMAZON FINDS: See all my favorite new picks in my Amazon Shop.

3. PURE BLISS AND INSPIRATION: This IG account is stunning! This scrumptious flavor pairing in a dessert. The textiles and designs on this site.

4. FABULOUS FINDS:

• This stylish round vase is a steal, and this ribbed one is, too.
• This pretty floor lamp.
• This set of 6 woven coasters in their own lidded holder- get free shipping.
• This versatile woven tray– on sale.

5. BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS HOMES AND MORE: You will want to step inside decorator Maggie Griffin’s stunning Christmas home. See how easy it is to craft your own beautiful heirloom-looking Christmas balls. This home is full of cozy and festive details.

6. THE CURATED CLOSET: Beautiful, comfortable, and classic clothes you will love!

• Do you have your Christmas pajamas yet? Look festive in this sleep top, sleep bottoms, nightgown (LOVE), and robe. All 40% off.
• Look chic and comfortable in my favorite pants (I have 4 pairs), and this and this classic V-neck sweater I just got.
• This cashmere-feel wrap in various colors.

7. FUN AND INTERESTING FACTS: Who was the real Santa Claus? What two beloved Christmas songs were originally written for Thanksgiving?

8. THIS AND THAT: If you missed StoneGable’s 2024 Christmas Tour, stop by! I’d love to be friends on Instagram and Facebook. Perusing garden sites catalogs starts January 1st. HERE, HERE, and HERE are good places to start. Here are 82 impressive Christmas trees to enjoy.

9. IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS: Learn how to layer and add detail to your home…

• I LOVE this modern take on a Low Country Farmhouse!
• Read this if you ever wondered what Grandmillenial style is and how to get it.
• Take a lesson from my favorite designer, James T Farmer, about mixing patterns.

10. CULINARY CORNER: My Christmas Salad—For Nut Crumble: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix 1/2 cup pepitas, 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped walnuts, and 1/3 cup of honey in a bowl. Transfer to a lined baking sheet. Spread out and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and crumble. Set aside. For Salad: In a salad bowl, add 6 cups of mixed greens, 2 cups of friseé, 1-2 apples cut into matchsticks, 2 clementines- sectioned and cut in half, 2 cups of pomegranate arils, and one cup of crumbled bleu cheese (or feta). For the dressing: Add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 TBS honey, 1 TBS fig preserves, 2 TBS orange zest, 2 TBS orange juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake. Dress the salad, toss, and add nut crumble. Enjoy!

ANSWER TO #7: Santa is based on St.Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in Turkey. The Real St. Nick tells this beautiful story about the historical Santa. Over The River And Through The Woods and Jingle Bells were originally written for Thanksgiving. Now you know!